The Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo was the only quarterback in the NFL to take every snap last season, and his backup said he hopes it happens again.

“I was absolutely content and happy watching Tony have the success he had last year,” Kitna said. “It was a great step for him and this team. That's what I want to be a part of — a team that wins. And we have a chance to do that.”

While Romo toiled, Kitna recovered from the physical toll of playing the previous three seasons with hapless Detroit. He also immersed himself in the playbook, learning his new team's terminology inside and out.

And he encouraged Romo to get all the work.

“Even when we were leading by 21 and all he had to do was hand off the ball in the last two minutes, I told him take every snap,” Kitna said. “I was happy for him he got to do it.”

Kitna knows firsthand the pride that comes from taking every snap. He's done it twice in 13 seasons (2003 with Cincinnati and 2006 with the Lions), according to STATS LLC. Discounting gimmick plays like the wildcat, only nine quarterbacks since 2006 have accomplished the feat.

“Jon is a great guy to bounce ideas off of,” Romo said. “He's very knowledgeable. He's easy to talk to, and he thinks like me. We've got a lot in common.”

Kitna, who turns 38 on Sept. 21, has looked sharp in the preseason. Last weekend in San Diego, he completed 9 of 15 passes for 84 yards with a touchdown — a performance that pleased Jerry Jones.

“I'm going to sleep better about quarterback tonight than I've slept this year, because Kitna was outstanding,” Jones said.

Kitna's play, which included a 19-yard scoring strike to Martellus Bennett, also impressed Romo.

“We are lucky to have Jon,” Romo said. “He can still play this game at a high level. I feel very comfortable with this team going forward if I were to go down. It's a luxury most teams don't have.”

But Kitna would prefer to spend the season watching Romo thrive as he did last year, when he passed for a team-record 4,483 yards and 26 TDs.

“I'm not in it for the excitement,” he said. “I'm in it to win.”

Dallas acquired Kitna in a trade that sent cornerback Anthony Henry to the Lions. After arriving in Irving, he began working to “build his body back up” after absorbing 129 sacks with the Lions.

Despite the pounding, Kitna stands tall in the pocket.

“There's no flinching where I grew up,” the native of Tacoma, Wash., said.

A starter for three franchises, Kitna has passed for 27,293 yards, 152 TDs and 151 interceptions.

Asked whether he plans to play into his 40s, Kitna turned philosophical.

“I came into this league (out of Central Washington) hoping to get one year,” he said. “I was an undrafted free agent. ... I had one team (interested). So I wanted to get one year. My wife and I had been married two years and we wanted to get out of debt.

“God has taken my little dream and turned it into something I never would've dreamt, sitting here in Oxnard, Calif., playing for the Dallas Cowboys, going into year 14. So I don't even think much about how long I'm going to play. When the time is done, God will close the door.”